Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

Yeah, I quickly found that dialing the bass control on the amp helped things. Though it was only in a relative sense. I'm using an Orange Terror Bass, which is already pretty warm/dark, but I didn't have any problems with the previous TB Pro. I dunno. Could be the room, as it was the first time I had played with this specific set of gear in the room. I also tried dialing back the neck pickup a bit, though I could only do that so much before my overall perceived volume started to suffer.

I'm just wondering what possible difference there could be that I'm not considering.

interesting. I typically dial back the bridge and only use it as a sound balancer. I'm not sure the pickups are all that different from a CP to a VP. A Pro IV is active and has a completely different sound. I didn't like it that much, so my Pro IV got modified a lot. YMMV

 

[Band Mom]

The Pro that I am using has the passive Gibson Tbird Plus pickups, which I assume are the same as the big boy Gibson 'Birds. The Vintage Pro has the Epiphone Probuckers in them, so I'm assuming there's at least some difference between the two, along with whatever changes the manufacturing (neck through vs set-in) might bring.

Oh, and that VP 'Bird that was linked to earlier (and I bought) is apparently 8.25 lbs. Score!

 

[Gaolee]

I believe they are both neck through. And, score indeed!

 

[PillO]

The Pro that I am using has the passive Gibson Tbird Plus pickups, which I assume are the same as the big boy Gibson 'Birds. The Vintage Pro has the Epiphone Probuckers in them, so I'm assuming there's at least some difference between the two, along with whatever changes the manufacturing (neck through vs set-in) might bring.

Oh, and that VP 'Bird that was linked to earlier (and I bought) is apparently 8.25 lbs. Score!

There are, if I recall correctly, 3 variants of the Epiphone neck-thru thunderbird. The Vintage Pro is the latest incarnation and is too long for a standard thunderbird case and has chrome passive pickups (widely believed to be 'chinabuckers'). The Classic Pro preceded it and has the three point bridge and Gibson pickups. The Pro-IV and Pro-V are active basses and have a flush-mount bridge.

 

[MCF]

The Pro that I am using has the passive Gibson Tbird Plus pickups, which I assume are the same as the big boy Gibson 'Birds. The Vintage Pro has the Epiphone Probuckers in them, so I'm assuming there's at least some difference between the two, along with whatever changes the manufacturing (neck through vs set-in) might bring.

Oh, and that VP 'Bird that was linked to earlier (and I bought) is apparently 8.25 lbs. Score!

Congrats on the new Bird! Glad someone from the club was able to get it.

 

[PillO]

A local L&M (not my local, but the next closest one) is having a clinic a week Saturday with Doug Wimbish. Needless to say, I have already RSVPed.

 

[RedVee]

The Pro that I am using has the passive Gibson Tbird Plus pickups, which I assume are the same as the big boy Gibson 'Birds. The Vintage Pro has the Epiphone Probuckers in them, so I'm assuming there's at least some difference between the two, along with whatever changes the manufacturing (neck through vs set-in) might bring.

Oh, and that VP 'Bird that was linked to earlier (and I bought) is apparently 8.25 lbs. Score!

Epiphone are confusing with their naming of T’Birds.
Yours would be a Classic Pro. The new one you have ordered is a Vintage Pro.
There is also a Pro IV, active, 4 knobs and the bolt on neck IV’s.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

A local L&M (not my local, but the next closest one) is having a clinic a week Saturday with Doug Wimbish. Needless to say, I have already RSVPed.

Hey that’s my second closest L&M too!
But I’m not going.

 

[PillO]

Hey that’s my second closest L&M too!
But I’m not going.

Much closer to me than you. Doug Wimbish is awesome; I hope she is worth it.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Much closer to me than you. Doug Wimbish is awesome; I hope she is worth it.

She will be.

 

[Band Mom]

There are, if I recall correctly, 3 variants of the Epiphone neck-thru thunderbird. The Vintage Pro is the latest incarnation and is too long for a standard thunderbird case and has chrome passive pickups (widely believed to be 'chinabuckers'). The Classic Pro preceded it and has the three point bridge and Gibson pickups. The Pro-IV and Pro-V are active basses and have a flush-mount bridge.

OK, though that's a bit concerning about it not fitting in the case. I bought the Vintage Pro from Music Go Round specifically because it came with a case at a good price. Are you saying that the bass they send me won't fit in the case that it comes with? If so, that's confusing, and I wonder what case would actually fit it.

And yeah, the different names of the Epi 'Birds have confused me more than once, as not only are there a bunch of variants, but even different sites (ex. GC/MF vs SW) have different names for them. Oh well, guess we'll see what happens when everything makes it here.

 

[GBassNorth]

...
View attachment 3196147

...and that right there is what happens when you chain that moose of a dog the the front bumper and have him pull the truck out of the garage! Son you got some splainen to do!
... but on the bright side, puppy has a new "dog house".

Nice set of headers, what are the overall plans for that engine?

 

[PillO]

Much closer to me than you. Doug Wimbish is awesome; I hope she is worth it.

She will be.

View attachment 3196147 View attachment 3196148 View attachment 3196150

And the first picture is your dog. AHEM!

 

[GBassNorth]

OK, though that's a bit concerning about it not fitting in the case. I bought the Vintage Pro from Music Go Round specifically because it came with a case at a good price. Are you saying that the bass they send me won't fit in the case that it comes with? If so, that's confusing, and I wonder what case would actually fit it.

And yeah, the different names of the Epi 'Birds have confused me more than once, as not only are there a bunch of variants, but even different sites (ex. GC/MF vs SW) have different names for them. Oh well, guess we'll see what happens when everything makes it here.

The VP bass is significantly longer than any bass I own, even longer than 35" scale basses I own. Doesn't effect the reach, the extra length is mostly in the headstock.

As for the hard case, Eppi does make a case for the VP and if you buy it with the VP it adds about $150 to the purchase. One would have to assume the case they are including fits the bass they are selling.

Also the ProBucker pickups in the VP sound completely different than the standard Gibson Thunderbird pickups. They are much more aggressive, have more top end, just about the same bottom end, and are much easier to get grit and growl out of. It's kind of a TBird pickup on steroids. Keeping in mind the type of music you play, they should deliver the sound you want in spades. Now if your tone goal is more along the line of Motown or Reggae, it can do that too but I'd probably look elsewhere for a better fit.

 

[PillO]

OK, though that's a bit concerning about it not fitting in the case. I bought the Vintage Pro from Music Go Round specifically because it came with a case at a good price. Are you saying that the bass they send me won't fit in the case that it comes with? If so, that's confusing, and I wonder what case would actually fit it.

I suppose it should fit. I think the concern has been that the new VPs are too long to fit anything designed for the old style.

 

[Band Mom]

Ah, OK. Yeah, it would make sense that the case it comes in fits, otherwise, why bother adding the case to the listing? Do you have a link to the matching case?

Seeing as how my only two bands are post-rock and stoner metal, I'd say that the Probucker was made with me specifically in mind, according to your description

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to my next practice. Though I've got to be careful and not introduce too many changes all at once, on the off-chance that I'm searching for any tone issues. My earlier post about boominess had way too many variables for me to sort out the cause (new room, new rig, new bass). I'll feel more confident once I can fire it up at my normal space.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

A local L&M (not my local, but the next closest one) is having a clinic a week Saturday with Doug Wimbish. Needless to say, I have already RSVPed.

Prolly no T-Bird there..

 

[GBassNorth]

Ah, OK. Yeah, it would make sense that the case it comes in fits, otherwise, why bother adding the case to the listing? Do you have a link to the matching case?

Seeing as how my only two bands are post-rock and stoner metal, I'd say that the Probucker was made with me specifically in mind, according to your description

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to my next practice. Though I've got to be careful and not introduce too many changes all at once, on the off-chance that I'm searching for any tone issues. My earlier post about boominess had way too many variables for me to sort out the cause (new room, new rig, new bass). I'll feel more confident once I can fire it up at my normal space.

Here's another Talkbass thread specifically devoted to the TBird VP. Might answer questions you have...
NBD Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

...and that right there is what happens when you chain that moose of a dog the the front bumper and have him pull the truck out of the garage! Son you got some splainen to do!
... but on the bright side, puppy has a new "dog house".

Nice set of headers, what are the overall plans for that engine?

It's a 6.0L LS based engine out of early 2000's GM 2500 trucks. This winter will more be just getting the engine in and getting it moving under it's own power, as this is the first time we'll be messing with an engine that has more than a handful of wires. If we get a chance this winter I'd like to change the camshaft. And will probably still use the 5 speed manual transmission for the first while.

Overall plans, good camshaft, sheet metal intake, built rotating assembly... oh ya... and twin turbos backed by a 6 speed manual. I'd like to have 800hp on a street tune with pump gas (high octane). Probably end up with around 700hp though.


Also going to modernize it a bit with a nice touch screen radio, eventually a digital retrofit gauge cluster, keyless start, few other things. But those will probably be for another year as money permits.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

And the first picture is your dog. AHEM!

She'll keep you warm at night.